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Weight gain in pregnancy, triceps skinfold thickness, and blood pressure in offspring
1Medical Research Council Environmental Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton, Hampshire, United Kingdom. pmc@mrc.soton.ac.uk
Insights
Maternal nutrition during pregnancy impacts offspring blood pressure. Poor weight gain in early pregnancy, especially for undernourished mothers, is linked to higher blood pressure in children at age 11.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Nutritional Science
Background:
- Maternal nutrition during pregnancy is crucial for fetal development.
- Early pregnancy nutritional status may influence long-term offspring health outcomes.
- Childhood blood pressure is a predictor of adult cardiovascular health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between maternal nutritional status in early pregnancy and offspring blood pressure at age 11.
- To determine if poor maternal weight gain during pregnancy is linked to elevated blood pressure in children.
- To explore the role of triceps skinfold thickness as an indicator of maternal nutritional status.
Main Methods:
- A follow-up study of 296 children at age 11 whose mothers participated in a pregnancy nutrition study.
- Maternal triceps skinfold thickness measured at 18 weeks' gestation and maternal weight at 18 and 28 weeks' gestation.
- Childhood blood pressure (BP) recorded and adjusted for weight, gender, ethnicity, cuff size, and time of measurement.
Main Results:
- Children's mean systolic BP was 106 mmHg and diastolic BP was 62 mmHg.
- Maternal triceps skinfold thickness and pregnancy weight gain showed a weak inverse relationship with offspring BP.
- In mothers with triceps skinfold thickness below the median, reduced pregnancy weight gain was significantly associated with higher offspring systolic (11.3 mmHg) and diastolic (10.1 mmHg) BP.
Conclusions:
- Reduced pregnancy weight gain in poorly nourished mothers is associated with elevated offspring blood pressure at age 11.
- Fetal adaptations to maternal malnutrition may lead to increased childhood blood pressure.
- Adequate maternal weight gain during pregnancy may offer protection against elevated offspring blood pressure.
Objective:
To determine whether women who are poorly nourished in early pregnancy, as determined by triceps skinfold thickness, or who have poor pregnancy weight gain have offspring with higher blood pressure (BP).
Methods:
We evaluated 296 11-year-old children born to women who had taken part in a study of nutrition in pregnancy. Women had been weighed at 18 and 28 weeks' gestation and had had their triceps skinfold thickness measured at 18 weeks. In our follow-up study, their children were weighed and had their BP recorded. Blood pressure was adjusted for weight, gender, ethnic group, cuff size, and time of measurement.
Results:
The children's mean (standard deviation [SD]) systolic BP was 106 (12) mmHg and their mean (SD) diastolic BP was 62 (7) mmHg. Maternal triceps skinfold thickness at 18 weeks' gestation and maternal pregnancy weight gain between 18 and 28 weeks' gestation were weakly inversely related to the children's BP. However, among women with triceps skinfold thickness at 18 weeks below the group median (15 mm), reduced pregnancy weight gain was associated with significantly higher BP in the offspring; systolic pressure increased by 11.3 mmHg (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.2, 20.4) and diastolic pressure by 10.1 mmHg (95% CI 3.2, 17.1) for each kilogram-per-week decrease in pregnancy weight gain.
Conclusion:
In women who were poorly nourished in early pregnancy, reduced pregnancy weight gain was associated with higher BP in the 11-year-old offspring. We suggest that fetal adaptations to poor maternal nutrition lead to elevated BP in childhood but adequate maternal weight gain during pregnancy may protect against this.